Open Enrollment Period

You know how at work you get a few months to change your health insurance, benefits, etc?

Al Bagnoli’s arrival at Columbia should serve as a broad “open enrollment” of sorts for former players still on campus who quit the team, recruits who were on the fence about Columbia but chose another school, and potential transfers who were recruited recently by Bagnoli and Penn and aren’t happy at the non-Ivy schools where they ended up.

Of course the same is true for potential assistant coaches, but I assume that window is closing very fast if it hasn’t already.

When players leave a team in the Ivies, whether voluntarily or not, there’s always a chance they won’t come back no matter how good they were on the field. Since the primary goal for every Ivy player is academic success, it’s often easy to just focus on your studies and not bother returning to the added burden of athletics.

But I have reason to believe that Columbia will enjoy the return of several strong players to help ease Bagnoli’s attempt to make Columbia relevant again.

At Tuesday’s news conference I saw DL Charles Melka looking ready to return to play. I have good reason to believe fellow DL Chad Washington may also be back in the fall along with LB Mark Cieslak. WR Isaiah Gross, who spent time in and out of Pete Mangurian’s dog house, may be returning as well.

I’m a believer that all the above-mentioned players would really upgrade the talent level of the 2015 Lions, particularly on defense where Washinton and Melka’s presence along with the returning star Niko Padilla could suddenly make our front line more than just relevant.

Obviously I can’t know or even comment much on potential transfers and recruits who could change their minds.

But let the word go forth: Columbia Football is now under new and excellent management!

Play Ball!

Columbia baseball begins its regular season tomorrow at the University of Houston. The Ivy champs are looking for a three-peat this year and the Columbia Spectator has a great preview of the season out today. 

Soccer Deal

The USL, which acts as a minor league to the MLS, has announced that the New York Red Bulls II team will play at the Rocco Commisso Soccer Stadium at the Baker Athletics Complex beginning this summer. 

I’m not sure how many of those games will be at night, but if they catch on in any way without any neighborhood protest they could act as solid proof that Lions football can host one or two night home games per season without destroying the epic beauty and silence of the Inwood neighborhood.

We’ll keep our eyes open for that.